Sub-kHz-linewidth VECSELs for cold atom experiments

Moriya, Paulo Hisao and Singh, Yeshpal and Bongs, Kai and Hastie, Jennifer E. (2020) Sub-kHz-linewidth VECSELs for cold atom experiments. Optics Express, 28 (11). pp. 15943-15953. ISSN 1094-4087 (https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.390982)

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Abstract

We report and characterize sub-kHz linewidth operation of an AlGaInP-based VECSEL system suitable for addressing the narrow cooling transition of neutral strontium atoms at 689 nm. When frequency-stabilized to a standard air-spaced Fabry-Perot cavity (finesse 1000) via the Pound-Drever-Hall (PDH) technique, it delivers output power >150 mW in a circularly-symmetric single transverse mode with low frequency and intensity noise. The optical field was reconstructed from the frequency noise error signal via autocorrelation and the Wiener-Khintchine theorem, leading to an estimated linewidth of (125±2) Hz. Optical beat note measurements were performed against a commercial locked laser system and a second, almost identical, VECSEL system resulting in linewidths of 200 Hz and 160 Hz FWHM, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a VECSEL compatible with the narrowest of lines (few hundred Hz) used for cooling and trapping atoms and ions.

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